BOXTED PARISH PLANIncorporating

TheVILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT

St Peters Church was completed sometime between 1090 and 1130.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction PageScope 31.1 Purpose 31.2 What residents told us about Boxted 41.3 Consultation 41.4 Planning policy highlights 51.5 Major design guidance 8

2. The VillageA brief history 9

2.1 Geography 82.2 Population centres 112.3 Village envelopes 122.4 Applicable planning policy 132.5 Building styles and designs 152.6 Roads and ancillary furniture 162.7 Transportation 172.8 Footpath protection 172.9 Wild life preservation 182.10 Industry 182.11 Agriculture and horticulture 192.12 Community facilities 19

3. Future development3.1 Housing 223.2 Roads, signage and footpaths 233.3 Business and Industry 243.4 Transportation 243.5 Agriculture 253.6 Village facilities 25

4. Appendix 27Cage Lane Protection 27Hill Farm Rural Business site 27Straight Road - Special policy area 28Boxted Conservation area 28Table 1 - local plans / policies 28

5. Acknowledgements 28Appendix B 30

Boxted Hall, 11th Century - Doomsday

Rivers Hall, 11th century

Introduction

1.0 Scope

This Village Design Statement covers the Parish of Boxted, anarea of 3177 acres, the second largest parish in Essex. Thepopulation at the 2001 census was 1361.

1.1 The Statement’s purpose is to:

Represent the views of the villagers.

Influence, but not prevent development.

Provide guidance to developers and property owners.

Protect rural locations, foot paths and bridle ways.

Protect and improve open spaces and the street scene.

Promote the use of sympathetic building designs and appropriatematerials.

Ensure the preservation of what the villagers consider to be thevalued qualities and character of the Parish.

To add to the quality of life of villagers.

Form part of the evidence base for the Local DevelopmentFramework for Colchester.

Finally, give guidance to Colchester Borough Council in thedetermination of planning applications in Boxted.

The authors of this Plan feel strongly that once the communityhas adopted this plan, CBC should formally adopt it as aplanning Guidance Note. Once adopted, the VDS, reflectingBoxted residents’ views, will be a material consideration whendetermining planning applications in the parish. Much of Boxted still remains farm land.

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1.2What residents told us about Boxted

The VDS Committee organised a questionnaire, publicinformation meetings and informal discussions. The mostfrequent “best” and “worst” comments are set out below.

WWHHAATT RREESSII DDEENN TTSS WWAANNTT EEDD::

Traditional two storey housing in keeping with surroundings

Traffic calming by means of “Slow Down” signs

Further improvements to footpaths along Straight Road

Off street parking

A shop/post office and a pub

Effective controls on existing industry

WWHHAATT RREESSII DDEENN TTSS DDII DD NNOOTT WWAANN TT::

Apartments and flats

Social housing of any significance

New build housing in the Workhouse Hill and Boxted Church areas

Any more industry

Intrusive signage, lighting, gates and fences

Creeping urbanisation

1.3 Consultation

The initial meeting instigated by the Parish Council was held inAugust 2006 and a committee to act as the Steering Group wassubsequently elected.

Regular meetings were held, and villagers advised of progress inthe Village News section of the Essex County Standard.

A photographic survey and publicity display was held at thevillage Fete in July 2007 and the Village Design Questionnairewas distributed and collected by volunteers in late 2007. Theresponse of over 60% was analysed, and this is the basis of thevillagers’ views represented in this document.

The first draft of the Statement was presented at the AGM inMay 2008 and the draft circulated to Boxted Parish Council andColchester Borough Council in November 2008, and again inMarch 2009. Comments were incorporated in the final report.

Residents would like a shop/post office

and a pub (The Wig & Fidgett closed in 2007).

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1.4 Planning Policy highlights

We have reviewed the following Colchester Borough Council(CBC) documents for policy details that have importance toBoxted.

There are a number of saved Local Plan policies that are relevantto the Boxted integrated Parish Plan and Village DesignStatement. These include policies CO2 Dedham Vale Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty, C05 Habitats, CO7 ProtectedLanes, EMP5 Isolated Industrial Complexes (Hill Farm RuralBusiness Site), EMP6 Boxted Straight Road Special Policy Areaand UEA1 Character of Conservation Areas. Full details ofthese policies are set out in Appendix A

Over time Colchester’s Adopted Local Plan (2004) will bereplaced with a suite of new documents that will make up theLocal Development Framework. The first of these, the CoreStrategy has already been adopted following a publicexamination in 2008. The Core Strategy (CS) sets the strategicpolicy framework up to 2021 (2023 for housing) and the mainpolicy areas in the CS of interest to Boxted are:

H1 – Housing Deliver & H2 Housing DensityPolicy H1 states that the majority of the 19,000 new homes willbe delivered in the 5 main Regeneration and Growth Areasidentified around urban Colchester by 2023. Table H1accompanying Policy H1 sets out housing provision forColchester and the surrounding towns and villages and indicatesthat all the small villages and hamlets such as Boxted collectivelywill have to accommodate limited growth i.e. 435 homes by2021.

Policy H2 states that the Council will seek housing densities thatenhance local character and optimise the capacity of accessiblelocations. A context appraisal will identify the accessibility of anarea and its local character which will help inform an appropriatedensity Table H2a shows that the indicative housing density forvillages across the Borough which tend to be less accessibleshould be between 30 - 40 dwellings/hectare.

H3 – Housing DiversityThis policy’s aim is to ensure that a range of housing types and

tenures are delivered to create inclusive and sustainablecommunities. Policy H3 states that the mix of housing should beinformed by an appraisal of community context and housingneed. Table H3a identifies the mix of housing types to bedelivered relative to accessibility. This suggests that areas such asBoxted where access is generally lower than urban Colchester isgenerally more suitable for houses rather than flats

H4 –Affordable Housing.This states that the Council will be seeking to secure 35% of allnew development as affordable housing. In villages affordablehousing will be required to be delivered as part of housingdevelopments of 3 or more dwellings. Developments below these

The fields of Old Farm, part of the “green break” between Boxted and Colchester.

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thresholds will be expected to provide a financial contribution. Invillages, affordable housing developments will be supported onrural exception sites adjacent to village settlement boundarieswhere a local need is demonstrated.

CE1 Centres & Employment Classification and Hierarchy;CE2a Local Centres & CE3 Employment ZonesThe Core Strategy sets out a Centres & EmploymentClassification and Hierarchy. Policy CE1 supports the provisionof small scale developments such as small shops, recreation andor tourism businesses in countryside locations which have lowtravel needs and low impacts and which support rural economies.Policy CE2c encourages the provision of local shops to meetlocal needs. A number of Local Employment Sites will beidentified to support small and medium local and ruralbusinesses that promote and provide rural enterprise and localemployment as highlighted in Policy CE3.

Colchester Core Strategy Policy ENV1 states that “The Borough Council will conserve and enhance Colchester’s natural and historic environment, countyside...Developments that have an adverse impact on Dedham Vale AONB will not be supported. Unallocated green field land outside of settlement boundaries will be protected... development will be stictly controlled to conserve the environmental assets and open character”.

Policy TA1 - Transport and Accessibility – the key aimsare “to improve accessibility by enhancing sustainable transport links and encouraging development that reduces the need for travel.”

Policy TA2 - Walking and Cycling - The key aims are “to promote walking and cycling ... and make them more attractive, direct and safe.”

Policy TA 3 - Public Transport - “Demand responsive (bus) services will also be promoted to help rural communities access their needs.”

Rural Communities- the Core Strategy PDP makes it clear that the villages in the Borough are unlikely to experience significant development during the Plan period. Open stretches of countryside should be protected

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Plan Documents as part of the LDF along with a new ProposalsMap. The Development Policies will eventually replace the savedLocal Plan policies once they have undergone an Examination inPublic in the spring 2010 and formally adopted. The Council isalso preparing new Supplementary Planning Documents for theProvision of Communities Facilities, Backland and InfillDevelopment and Affordable Housing. Essex County Council isalso revising the Car Parking standards. All these documentsonce formally adopted will make up the new LDF followingformal adoption and will be relevant when determining planningapplications affecting Boxted in the future. Appendix B sets outthe Development Policies and shows which Saved Local PlanPolicy they will replace.

Of major importance to our document is the restriction ofunsuitable development beyond settlement boundaries toprotect open stretches of countryside around and betweensettlements, prevent coalescence, retain settlement identity, and protect landscape character.

The Planning Policy highlights above are considered essential ifBoxted is to be kept separate from Colchester, and village lifepreserved and enhanced. These principles as set out in the CShave been accepted as working assumptions through thisdocument, and we hope that these aims will be kept at theforefront of CBC planning for the future of Boxted.

Colchester Borough Council is also currently preparing a newsuite of Development Policies and Site Allocations Development

Boxted is within the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty7

1.5 Major Design Guidance

VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT.

The application of Local Plan Policies should not be relaxed.Any new development needs to be in accordance with LocalPlan and Core Strategy (refer to table 1).

The A12 should be regarded as the barrier to development fromColchester, and only exceptional infill should be allowed, asoutlined in the Core Strategy.

Any new build should be confined to the village envelope, butnot within the conservation area surrounding the church, butpossibly along Straight Road.

All new build should be in keeping with the immediateneighbourhood.

Housing should be a mix of detached or semi-detached andshould not exceed 2 storeys. New build housing should be inkeeping with their surroundings and use traditional high qualitymaterials such as brick, tiles, and where appropriate, timberframing and cladding, but only where it is in keeping.

Off street parking should be provided.

Any development of the old school site adjacent to BoxtedChurch must be in keeping with the surroundings, be lowdensity, not overlook or detract from the church and the areaused for car parking for church users should be retained.

Any affordable housing should be limited in numbers anddeveloped in keeping with surrounding properties.

Existing and new planning policies should be maintained andenforced to protect village life. Retrospective planningpermissions should not be granted unless there is sufficientreason, and that reason is acceptable to Boxted Parish Council.

No expansion of existing businesses should be permitted unlessthere is a case for increased employment for villagers, some othercommunity benefit is provided to the village and the business

carries out an environmental impact assessment, which would beavailable to the public.

The Borough should ensure that Planning, Health and Safetyand Environmental controls are enforced by them or otherAgencies.

Agricultural land surrounding the village should be conservedfrom inappropriate development, or development that impactsnegatively on the character and the local environment, inaccordance with Policy ENV2.

Traffic calming should be improved along Straight Road and atthe entrance to the village on Dedham Road by means of moreprominent “Slow Down” signs, and a speed operated flashingsign at the Mill Road entry on Straight Road.

PARISH PLAN

A 7.5 tonne weight limit, except for access, should be imposed atthe Straight Road/Queen’s Head Road junction and at the GunHill, Langham entry towards Boxted. The Parish Council, CBCand other bodies should work together to see if the Sports andSocial Club could be redeveloped so as to incorporate anextended indoor and outdoor sports centre, the Pre-School and alicensed bar open and welcoming to all.

Encouragement should be given to anyone who wishes to open avillage shop and/or post office, and also a pub, if they could berun as going concerns.

As set out in the Core Strategy, any new development within thevillage should contribute to the provision of community facilities,where a local need has been identified in the VDS/Parish Plan.

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2. The Village

A BRIEF HISTORY

Boxted was and remains an agricultural area, and dates from pre-historic times. Over the millennia it has been settled by theRomans, Jutes, Saxons and Normans. Some evidence remains.

Agriculture continues to be an important part of Boxted life withfewer but larger farms. Arable and fruit farming predominates.Going back to the eleventh century, cultivation was centred tothe northwest and north-east of the parish where the BoxtedHall and Rivers Hall estates came to exist. Clearing of woodlandhad begun by then and the area converted to heath by 1325 suchthat most of the area was available for farming. Mixed farmingwas carried out for the following few hundred years, much of itby tenanted farmers.

Meanwhile most of the southern area of the parish remainedheath (Boxted Heath) but there was usage for pasturing sheepand cattle and for obtaining turf and clay for cottagemaintenance.

A significant development that continues to influence theagricultural structure of the village was the purchase in 1906 bythe Salvation Army of Priory Farm and 400 acres of land, muchof it former heath-land, for a land settlement scheme. Theseholdings had between 41/2 and 7 acres of land and each wasprovided with a new (usually semi-detached) cottage. From the1950’s onwards, holdings were largely sold to the sitting tenants.

Meanwhile the mixed farming continued elsewhere and from themid 1920’s onwards, market gardening and fruit farming becameestablished. Poultry houses were established and one suchbusiness continues in Straight Road. Hill House Farmspecialised in fruit but the extensive orchards in the parish werelargely replaced as a consequence of the Common AgriculturalPolicy.

An orchard mainly of walnut continues to exist between StraightRoad and Wet Lane and the packing sheds associated with the

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The rural tranquility of Boxted is much appreciated by villagers.

Hill Farm operation now form the basis for the Boxted industrial area next to Hill House.

Village facilities are limited today; although there were 7 pubsthe last, The Wig and Fidgett, closed in 2007. There is no shopor post office, the last having closed at the end of the 20thcentury.

Some commercial ventures have developed, mainly alongStraight Road and at Boxted Cross industrial area. Most of thevillage is now housing, with a significant proportion of olderresidents.

2.1 Geography

The Village of Boxted lies 5 miles north of Colchester. TheParish covers 3177 acres and is bounded on the north by theRiver Stour, and to the south by Salary Brook, a tributary of theRiver Colne. The west and east boundaries lie against theparishes of Great Horkesley and Langham respectively.Theoverall key landscape characteristics of the area are:

- Sloping side to the Stour valley - Farmland plateau- Small Farmsteads and Halls- Minor roads and narrow lanes

-Sense of tranquility away from road networkThere are also Local Wildlife Sites (formally SINCS) of whichthe relevant are Boxted Great wood and Black Brook, betweenBoxted and Langham.

The entire land area within the parish boundary to the north ofMill Road and Chapel Road was within the now supercededCountryside Conservation area, including the area north ofChurch Road/Cooks Hill which comes within an Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty. Countryside around villages is nowprotected by policy ENV1. There are relatively small but

Most of the arable land in Boxted is listed grade 2.

Fig 1. Boxted lies about five miles north of Colchester.

Area of OustandingNatu

ral Beauty

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important areas set aside for nature conservation, and Cage Laneis a Protected Lane of historic and/or landscape value.

The area close to Boxted Church overlooks the Stour Valley, adesignated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is an areathat should be preserved.

The A12 dual carriageway forms a barrier to future expansionfrom Colchester towards Boxted, and this document will makeclear our agreement with the Local Development Framework(LDF) that this barrier to large scale development should bemaintained.

No major roads pass through the village. However the narrowroads, particularly Langham Road, Langham Lane, StraightRoad and Queen’s Head Road have become commuter “ratruns”, and these routes are being increasingly used by HGVswhich are too big for these old and narrow lanes.

The LDF makes a comment in the section titled “Road NetworkImprovements” concerning “ right vehicles for the right roads”,which is not the case at present. Currently we have “the wrongvehicles for the wrong roads”

2.2 Population centres

Boxted has two recognised village centres, Church Street andThe Cross, in effect a crossroads. At The Cross or close by thereis the school, Village Hall and Sports and Social Club, the lasttwo located on King George’s playing field.

The areas along Straight Road, Dedham Road and near TheCross have significant housing, but little space remains for futuredevelopment apart from infilling, unless agricultural land isdeveloped or brown field sites redeveloped.

The area known as Boxted Church Street has limited housingstock and little prospect for development, apart from the limiteddisused primary school site. The Grade 1 Norman Church willimpose restrictions on any development.

The areas comprising Wet Lane, Green Lane and WorkhouseHill have had some infill development, but there is again littleroom for more housing.

The remainder of the housing stock is spread across the village,and again there seems little space for future development unlessbrown field sites are used, or planning restrictions relaxed.

It is important that any future and very limited development beallowed only within the existing village envelope.

The village Primary School at Boxted Cross.

Boxted Cross.

Boxted Church Street.11

2.3 Boxted Parish withVillage envelopes.

Colchester Local Plan 2004

12Fig. 2, Map of Village envelope

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2.4 Colchester Planning Policy

Until recently the Adopted Review Colchester Local Plan 2004set the Planning Policy framework to guide development acrossthe Borough. Policies in the Adopted Local Plan affectingBoxted Parish were displayed to parish residents in the villagehall at the 2007 summer fete and for several weeks after. Since2004 following a national review of planning and theintroduction of new legislation Colchester Borough Councilstarted work on the development of a new Local DevelopmentFramework. The Core Strategy has been published following 3stages of public consultation and was subject to an Examinationin Public in 2008. It was adopted in December 2008 and sets thestrategic planning framework for the Borough up to 2021. TheCore Strategy contains a number of policies that relateparticularly to rural communities and villages such as Boxted. Inaddition, a number of Adopted Local Plan policies have beensaved and together these will be used in conjunction with newCore Strategy policies to determine planning applications in thefuture.

In outline the parish is split into three strictly defined envelopes(figure 2);

1) Properties having access from Workhouse Hill, Wet Lane and part of Green Lane;

2) Properties to the north and south of Boxted Cross with access from Straight Road and Dedham Road (two non-contiguous areas);

3) Properties surrounding St Peter’s Church within the “Boxted Conservation Area”.

The majority of properties with access from Straight Road southof Mill road/Chapel Road, plus those in Old House Lane,Queen’s Head Road and Horkesley Road falls within the areacurrently classed as the Straight Road ‘Special Policy Area.’ TheHill Farm Business site also has a separate Rural Business SiteZoning. As discussed in section 1.4 these designations will besuperceded by adopted Core Strategy policies and new

Development Policies once these are also adopted.

Extracts from the above policies are set out in Appendix 1.

Colchester Borough Council is producing their new LocalDevelopment Policy. The Core Strategy has already beenadopted following extensive public consultation and independentscrutiny at an Examination in Public in 2008. The LDF willplan, manage and monitor change future growth in the Boroughup to 2021 (2023 for housing). The Core Strategy is available onthe Council’s website at www.colchester.goc.uk and containsproposals relating particularly to rural communities whichinclude villages in the Borough like Boxted.

The Core Strategy document does contain specific references todevelopment within the villages in policy ENV2 – RuralCommunities as follows:

“The Borough Council will enhance the vitality of ruralcommunities by supporting appropriate development of infillsites and previously developed land (PDL) within the settlementdevelopment boundaries of villages. The design and constructionof new village development must be high quality in all respects,including design, sustainability and compatibility with thedistinctive character of the locality. Development should alsocontribute to the local community through the provision ofrelevant community needs such as affordable housing, openspace, local employment, and community facilities. Outsidevillage boundaries, the Council will favourably consider small-scale rural business schemes that are appropriate to localemployment needs, minimise negative environmental impacts,and harmonise with the local character and surrounding naturalenvironment. Development outside but contiguous to villageenvelope boundaries may be supported where it constitutes anexception to meet identified local affordable housing needs.Towns and villages are encouraged to plan for the specific needsof their communities by developing Parish Plans and VillageDesign Statements for adoption as guidance.”

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Under the “Management Growth Pressures” section, the CoreStrategy on Page 23 identifies the need to preserve countrysideareas with strategic green gaps between settlements. Under

“Improving Accessibility” it recognises the shortage of localshops etc. and the need for improved access via transportservices.

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Single track roads abound in Boxted

2.5 Building Styles and Designs

The village has no common architectural style or theme and hasa wide variety of styles and designs of house building. Thesereflect the historical span of construction from Songers whichoriginally dates from 1280 to current builds. Additionally there isconsiderable variety of size extending from the 3 storey flats as atWhite Arch Place to large manor houses such as Boxted Halland Rivers Hall. Most housing is privately owned although thereis social housing such as that in Straight Road and a fewremaining properties in council ownership.

Most housing whether new or historic is of two storeys although

in particular there are bungalows in Dedham Road (of councilorigin) and in Hobbs Drive. The character of the village isenhanced by a series of thatched cottages dotted around thevillage such as Songers in Cage Lane, also Medlars and HollyCottage in Straight Road, a number of thatched cottages in EllisRoad and others along Church Street.

A number of historic houses such as Aubrey’s Cottages arecentred on the church in Church Street. The Wheelwright’sHouse and the old bakery exist close to Boxted Cross andrepresent the second original focal area of the village. There are

other interesting old properties scattered around the village suchas Harbutts and Wenlocks in Cage Lane dating from Tudortimes, Thatchers and Went (now the Thatched Cottage) in MillRoad, and Oak Cottage in Chapel Road. There are a number oflarge distinctive properties within the village boundary such asCheshunts at the end of Church Street, Hill House on Carter’sHill, Boxted House and Pond House, all with their distinctivestyles.

What was originally council housing was built post war nearBoxted Cross and private housing was built such as in HobbsDrive and East Side. These are typical urban-type twentiethcentury housing. More recently, building has been mainly in-fillsuch as on the car-park area of Boxted Cross Inn (now a privatehouse) and along Straight Road.

Songers Cottage (1280): the oldest timber-framed building in Essex.

Parsonage Farm on Carters Hill

The four cottages of Aubrey’s are formed from 15th Century houses.

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2.6 Roads and ancillary furniture

The road network around and through Boxted is formed by theold country lanes which have changed little since beingestablished for farm traffic.

The heavily used roads are Straight Road, Langham Road,Langham Lane and Queen’s Head Road which form the accessroutes to Colchester, Dedham and to the A12 and A134 roads.As private car usage is so prevalent, due in part to the restrictedbus service (see later), road usage is heavy at rush hour times.The roads are increasingly used as commuter rat runs toSeveralls Business Park and to the Hospital.

Of further concern is the increasing use of the village’s

unsuitable roads by HGVs taking short cuts to and from theA12 to the A134. The re- development of the Hill Farmindustrial area at The Cross will lead to further problems withaccess to the site via a difficult junction. The proximity of theprimary school which at the start and finish of the school dayhas its own traffic and parking problems will be compounded byHGVs accessing the Hill Farm industrial site. Indeed theilluminated bollards in the middle of Carter’s Hill at the junctionwith Straight Road have been regularly knocked over in recentmonths.

The use of satellite navigation systems is routing HGVs downunsuitable lanes, some of which are very narrow or dead ends.This is causing damage to road surfaces and verges.

It will be interesting to see the effect on local roads of the newfootball stadium. Some parking restrictions are imposed onmatch days, but there is no doubt that traffic will increase on theNorthern Approach Road and through Boxted until theproposed A 12 junction opens in perhaps 3 years time.

Speed limits, particularly on Straight Road are frequentlyignored despite the 30 mph signage. However traffic calming bymeans of speed humps and significant extra signage is notconsidered suitable and would be detrimental to the appearanceof the village. Of more benefit to the village, both in terms ofform and function would be a speed operated warning sign at theentrance to the village on Straight Road, and a more frequentpolice presence.

Other signage around the village is considered adequate, andadditional signage would be considered inappropriate and detractfrom a rural environment. What would be considered of greatbenefit are restrictions on vehicles over 7.5 tonnes except foraccess, and the appropriate signage on access routes.

There is little street lighting in the village, but there is littleappetite from the residents for any increase in street lighting.Any suggestion of this nature is likely to be resisted by residents.

Road maintenance could be improved, as potholes and otherdamage wait for some considerable time after identification untilrepair.Boxted Straight Road connects Boxted Cross to Myland, Colchester.

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2.7 Transportation

The bus service serving the village is run by Network Colchesterand Hedingham Omnibuses who between them provide 4weekday services into Colchester, and 3 return services, the lastbeing at 1740. On Saturday there is a service at 1015 and areturn at 1135. On Sundays and every evening there are noservices. Residents must use cars or taxis.

It is worth noting that few buses have facilities for the disabledor for mothers with prams, nor are there raised kerbs to allow foreasier access by the disabled. The bus service does however runto Colchester General Hospital and via Mill Road surgery inMile End.

It is understood that discussions have taken place within a bususers’ forum about how to increase the service frequency, but it isdifficult to justify on the grounds of passenger numbers.However, this report considers that it would be worthwhileexploring some increase in frequency by the increased use ofECC subsidy, or re-routing existing services from Dedham orNayland through Boxted.

So far as private car travel is concerned, it is difficult to see anyvoluntary reduction in car usage for access to the Town, the trainstation and for general travel unless public transport is improved.With so much private car usage, it is important that adequate offroad car parking facilities are provided in any new housingdevelopment.

2.8 Footpath protection

The footpath system within the Parish is adequate, well used byvisitors and local people and well maintained on the whole bylandowners. Hedge and undergrowth trimming, the marking ofpaths and signage maintenance are up kept in the main. Locallandowners should be encouraged to continue this practisepublicising their much needed co-operation in the husbandry ofour rural areas for use by the public. The renowned Essex Way

passes through the Boxted Church area and skirts around theCooks Hill and Rivers Hall areas on its way to Dedham andbeyond. The tracery of footpaths takes in varied landscapesincluding fine rural views, rolling countryside, orchard walks andwoodlands. Many paths are within the Dedham Vale Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty and offer both the occasional andserious walker a variety of peaceful walks, many unspoilt bytraffic and the noise of suburbia. Any further expansion withinthe parish should take into account the importance of quiet areasand disruption to the public footpath system should be stronglydiscouraged.

The footpaths within the Parish should be promoted as a sourceof exercise and enjoyment for all who wish to use them. We arelucky to possess within our parish what is becoming a scarceramenity as communities expand.

Whilst the network of footpaths is thriving and varied there iscause for concern regarding the lack of bridleways. There is asubstantial and growing population of private horse owners andlivery businesses within the parish. This important andnecessary part of the rural community is served by fewbridleways within the parish. In effect this means that a largeamount of horse movements are carried out on the publichighway.

The Essex Way footpath across Boxted Hall Farm.

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Whilst the conduct of both riders and motorists is generally of ahigh standard the potential for accidents is always present. Anyfuture development within the parish should includeaccommodation for equestrian rights of way wherever possible asan increase in local traffic volume by its very nature increases therisk of serious harm to horse, rider and drivers.

2.9 Wild life preservation

The Essex/Suffolk borders are “blessed” with a variety of habitatssupporting a varied population of wildlife from reptiles andamphibians to large mammals.

Hares abound in the areas of arable agriculture and muntjac and

roe deer are frequently spotted in the woodland fringes.

Many species of woodland and farmland birds are commonthroughout the parish from the yellowhammer and skylark tosparrowhawks and buzzards. The many lakes and streamssupport a healthy mix of waterfowl and aquatic life from frogsand toads to grebes and herons. The increasingly rare andthreatened water vole is to be found within the parish.

There are numerous waters that can be fished, both coarse and

fly. There are also well established game shoots operating such asthat run by the Rivers Hall estate.These country sports organisations in combination with thefarming and equestrian community and also institutions such asthe Dedham Vale Conservation Society maintain a balanced andthriving eco system that is imperative to the well being of thenatural wildlife found within Boxted. Any potentialdevelopment should be in tune with current eco systems and notunder any circumstances be permitted to cause any damage ordegeneration to our valuable natural resources.

2.10 Business and Industry

Industry in Boxted is focussed along Straight Road where smallconcerns have a variety of yards and sites. These have longstanding temporary planning permissions, but their appearanceleaves much to be desired, particularly those with scrap cars,tyres and so forth.

At the Cross, the old produce packing sheds which became asmall business centre with a variety of trades has closed forredevelopment as a modern small industrial centre. This site isknown as Hill Farm Rural Business site. Most of the old shedshave been demolished, and at the time of writing, there is nonews of the type of tenant for the future.

The new units were granted planning permission under planningpolicy EMP5, part of which says that “the uses and/ordevelopment shall be compatible with the character and scale ofany nearby settlement and the surrounding rural areas”. We havereservations about the height and scale of the permitted newbuildings, and with traffic using the site.

The old units caused problems with access for HGVs as theestate entrance is opposite the primary school, and there areadditional access problems and accident hazards at the junctionwith Straight Road/ Dedham Road.

Small industrial businesses such as skip hire and soil supply arelocated off Straight Road, and while these have temporaryplanning consents, the location is unsuitable for what in themain are potentially polluting operations in a rural area. In

Arable agriculture and woodland fringes in Boxted.

18

addition, following the closure of the old units at Hill Farm,more small businesses have relocated to this site.Indeed, a severe fire occurred in the summer of 2008 in old tyresand LPG cylinders left on land behind the Chapel. It is to thedetriment of the village environment if waste materials and scrapvehicles are left to accumulate without appropriate controlsbeing enforced on the operators of the site or the land owners.

Policy EMP6 currently relates to the Straight Road SpecialPolicy Area. This imposes conditions on renewal of temporarypermissions and for new permissions - see Appendix for moredetail. The villagers wish to see policy EMP6 (while still current)and any new replacement Development Policies covering RuralEmployment once adopted, strictly enforced, unless there aresignificant benefits to the village.

There are agricultural businesses off Straight Road, where thereis a chicken rearing shed, and near the A134 a vegetable packingoperation. Small garden centre type businesses are located alongStraight Road and Horkesley Road.

It is clear that the centre of industry for North Colchester is onSeveralls Park and Axial Way where new development ofindustrial sheds is taking place. Whilst this report accepts thatthere is a need for local employment, and it is not possible norsensible to revoke planning permissions for existing businesses.Any further industrial development in Boxted should be avoidedor be in accordance with Core Strategy Policy CE3 and futureemployment policies that are relevant to rural areas.

Any permitted redevelopment must be carefully designed so asto fit the scale of the village and should not form an overbearinglandmark. Existing businesses should be encouraged, orenforcement action should be taken, to ensure that theiractivities are not in breach of Planning, Health and Safety andEnvironmental Regulations.

2.11 Agriculture and Horticulture

Today almost all the agricultural land in the Boxted parish islisted in general as grade 2. There is some grade 1 land in thesouth-west area of the parish and there is a small amount of

grade 3 on the north-east side but the pockets are not easilyidentifiable. Currently a significant proportion of theagricultural land continues to be planted in rotation. Sugar beetis grown extensively and is cycled in particular with wheat orbarley. Potatoes, onions and certain other crops such as kale arealso grown. Sheep are fattened seasonally and Pond House Farmhas introduced alpaca. There has been a noticeable increaserecently in the fencing in of paddocks for horses. A small

amount of horticulture remains in the Straight Road area, mostlyunder glass, and there is a certain amount of fruit such asstrawberries and raspberries grown in the same general area.

2.12 Community Facilities

Boxted has few facilities and is reliant on Colchester Town, MileEnd, Highwoods and neighbouring villages for shopping,medical facilities and so forth. The nearest shop is thecommunity run shop in Langham, at least 2 km walk.

In Boxted there is no pub, no shop and an infrequent bus serviceto Colchester.

The only village facilities are the church and the chapel; theVillage Hall, the Sports and Social Club and the Pre school

The Walnut orchard planted in the 1920’s is still harvested annually.

19

which are located on King George’s playing field; the RoyalBritish Legion social club; and the primary school at the Cross.

The Village Hall is a facility available to all residents and othersfor hire for a variety of functions and events. The Hall wasupgraded in 2007/8 with help from a grant from the ParishCouncil and Cory Trust. It is used in the main by olderresidents who attend a number of clubs.

There are further clubs available in Langham, but these are a carride distant. It is regrettable that there are no youth or children’sclubs in Boxted.The two churches, St Peter’s at Boxted Church Street, andBoxted Methodist Chapel in Chapel Road provide religiousservices and are well attended. It is the intention that St Peter’swith St Mary’s Langham will provide a youth worker in 2009.The Church and the Chapel play an important part in villagelife.

The British Legion occupies an old Nissen hut on Straight Roadand membership is available to all. Its future may be in somedoubt when the lease expires in 2013

The Pre school acts as a feeder to the Primary school and islocated in old worn out huts. Retention of the pre school isconsidered essential to village development, as is the primaryschool, so as to encourage young families to come to and livein Boxted.

The Parish Council plays an active part in fostering, so far as itcan, community life. It maintains the playing field and is lookingto replace the deteriorating Pre school building.

It is also considering the future of the rather tired Sports andSocial Club. The aim is to provide a wider range of interests,rather than what is perceived to be a “boys sports club”. It wouldbe of great benefit to the village if any redevelopment was tocater for a variety of indoor and outdoor sports and activities, thePre-school, a youth club (if volunteer helpers could be found)and a more congenial licensed bar. This scheme would broadenthe interest and use of the building.

There should be an integrated development to co-ordinate theplay school group, pre school and the primary school, perhaps onone site if the Sports and Social Club redevelopment does notproceed on a sufficient scale. The primary school has a newbuilding on a site with room for expansion.

The mobile library calls once every two weeks and is aworthwhile facility, particularly for older residents who find itdifficult travelling to the main library in the Town centre.The Village Hall at Boxted Cross by the playing field.

The Methodist Chapel in Chapel Road.20

Sadly there are no other community facilities. There are nomedical or dental practises. Residents must travel to Mile End,Dedham or Nayland to see a doctor, so retention and if possible,improvement of the bus service should be seen as a priority for

older residents.

A village shop and a pub would add significantly to village life,but they would have to be run on a going concern basis.

21A view of the countryside near Cheshunts.

3. Future Development

3.1 Future Housing Development

Policy H4 in the Core Strategy states that:

Nevertheless, the Colchester Core Strategy document suggeststhat villages are not likely to see significant housing developmentup to 2023. Although 705 homes are likely to be developed inrural communities throughout the Borough, 650 had beencompleted or approved by 2006 including 150 in theneighbouring village of Great Horkesley. This compares with aprojection of 19,000 homes to be built in Colchester between2001 and 2023. It perhaps should be noted that between 2000and 2006, 31% of dwellings were bungalows or maisonettes andthat permissions and projections are based on the continueddemand for high density urban developments. There is little orno support for high density development in Boxted.

The residents of Boxted are anxious that any future housing is inkeeping with the surrounding properties, in general reflectingthe immediate neighbourhood. Tiled or slate roofs are stronglypreferred and there is enthusiasm to preserve the thatchedroofing of those thatched cottages in existence. Brick walls aregenerally preferred, also rendered walls; timber-clad walls are notpopular among residents. Nevertheless, an overall mix of stylesis acceptable. Residents are particularly reluctant to see anychanges or new build in the Conservation Area surrounding thechurch. Here the old school site is for sale and is next to theGrade 1 listed church. Access to the site is via a narrow lanewhich runs between the church yard and the grave yard. The siteis in the AONB, and close to the Essex Way. The school car parkis particularly useful for church services, weddings, funerals etc,as without it, there would be severe parking problems onsurrounding roads.

Change of usage is not popular generally anywhere in the village,and particularly any changes from domestic to commercial useshould be refused.

The residents wish the building of apartments and flats to beavoided or restricted. There is overwhelming support for anynew housing to be detached or semi-detached. Although there isgood support for affordable housing, both social housing and aretirement village are not considered desirable.

It is preferred that new housing should be on brown-field sites

“the Borough CounCil is committed to improving

housing affordability in Colchester. the Council will be seeking

to secure 35% of new dwellings (including conversions) to be

provided as affordable housing (normally on site), as follows:

• in Colchester town and Stanway, tiptree, Wivenhoe

and West Mersea, affordable housing will be required

on housing developments for 10 or more dwellings.

• in the other villages, affordable housing will be required

on housing developments for 3 or more dwellings.

• An equivalent financial contribution will also be sought

for developments below these thresholds.

in exceptional circumstances, where high developments costs

undermine the viability of housing delivery on brownfield sites,

developers will be expected to demonstrate an alternative

affordable housing provision.

Affordable housing development in the villages of rural

Colchester Borough will be supported on rural exception sites

contiguous with the existing village envelopes, provided a local

need is demonstrated by the Parish Council on behalf of their

residents.

the Council will require developments to integrate affordable

housing and market, with a consistent standard of quality

design and public spaces, to create mixed and sustainable

communities.”

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and should be within the village envelope. There is leastopposition to housing along Straight road.

3.2 Roads, signage and footpaths

Residents have considerable concerns about village roads,particularly traffic densities and speeding. Villagers do not wishto see a plethora of new signs, extra lighting or ostentatioustraffic calming measures.

They are appreciative of the new pavement which goes fromEast Side to the old Wig and Fidgett, but there still remain longstretches of Straight Road which are hazardous to pedestrians.There is a concern regarding the mix of horse and rider withtraffic along Straight Road and Langham Road, which are usedby rapidly moving traffic. There are few if any bridle ways, and itwould provide a safer and more enjoyable route if more bridleways were available.

GUIDANCE

The relevant policies in the Adopted Review LocalPlan and the Core Strategy should not be relaxed.

The A12 should be regarded as the barrier todevelopment from Colchester, and only exceptionalinfill be allowed, as outlined in the CS.

All new build should be in keeping with the immediateneighbourhood and should respect the existingsettlement pattern and densities.

Any new build should be confined to the villageenvelope, not within the conservation area surroundingthe church, but possibly along Straight Road.

Housing should be detached or semi-detached andshould not exceed 2 storeys. A mix of bungalows, semi-detached and detached housing is preferred. New buildhousing should be in keeping with surroundings anduse traditional high quality materials. Off street parkingshould be provided

Any development of the old school site adjacent toBoxted Church must be in keeping with thesurroundings, be low density, not overlook or detractfrom the church and the area used for car parking forchurch users should be retained.

Any affordable housing should be limited in numbersand developed in keeping with surroundings.

High density housing should be avoided.

GUIDANCE

Traffic calming should be improved along StraightRoad and at the entrance to the village on DedhamRoad by means of more prominent Slow Down signs,and a speed operated flashing sign at the Mill Roadentry on Straight Road.

A 7.5 tonne weight limit, except for access, should beimposed at the Straight Road/Queen’s Head Roadjunction and at the Gun Hill, Langham entry towardsBoxted.

A footpath/ pavement should be provided from the Wigand Fidgett to the Mill Road/Chapel Road junction.

All footpaths should be maintained for country walkers.Land owners should continue to be encouraged to keepverges and overhanging vegetation cut back to maintaineasy access.

Land owners should be encouraged to provide bridleways for horse and rider use.

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3.3 Business and Industry

It is clear from the questionnaire that there is considerableopposition to expansion of industry within Boxted andopposition to change of use of agricultural land. With the newindustrial park at Axial Way there seems a better alternative toany further industrial development in Boxted.

Turning now to existing businesses along Straight Road, some ofthese present a poor picture with the storage of scrap tyres andcars, and some are waste handling operations.

Whilst it is accepted that the existing planning permissions cannot be withdrawn, we do agree with the Borough policiesrelating to Hill Farm and the Straight Road Special Policy area.Any future Employment Development Policies should provide asimilar level of protection against inappropriate industrialexpansion in and around Boxted. 3.4 Transportation

A key element of villagers’ concerns is the limited bus service interms of frequency.

In view of what is perceived by villagers as a lack of Councilfocus on Boxted, it is considered that a more frequent bus servicecould only be achieved by increased Council subsidy, or byrerouting existing services.

It is also important that any new development be accessible bypublic transport in order to reduce car usage.

GUIDANCE

Existing planning policies are fully supported byvillagers, and should be maintained and enforced toprotect village life. Retrospective planning permissionshould not be granted. In general terms, any newbusinesses should be directed to the designatedemployment zone on the Straight Road.

No expansion of existing businesses should bepermitted unless there is a case for increasedemployment for villagers, some other communitybenefit is provided to the village and the business carriesout an environmental impact assessment, which wouldbe available to the public.

The Borough should ensure that Planning, Health andSafety and Environmental controls are enforced bythem or other Agencies to avoid any similar repeat ofthe fire fueled by dumped tyres in Chapel Road.

/...

/... Hill Farm industrial site should be monitored to ensure that all asbestos materials are safely removed inaccordance with the Asbestos Regulations. Trafficflows should be monitored to ensure that the safety ofschool children, pedestrians etc is not endangered bytraffic entering and leaving the site. No hazardoustrades such as waste handling should be allowed onthe site.

Screening of empoyment sites using mature trees andhedges should be a condition of any planning approvalso as to retain the rural character of Boxted.

GUIDANCE

An increase in bus frequency should be exploredeither by re-routing and extending existing services,or by subsidy from the Borough.

Any new development must be accessible by publictransport.

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3.5 Agriculture and Horticulture

As has been mentioned in section 1.3, areas of Boxted parishhave been very specifically delineated and these alreadyconsiderably define the nature of the countryside area. Perhapsmost notable is that a large area of Boxted, an area to the north,falls within the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty. As indicated in section 1.3, all of Boxted Church Streetlies within the area, as also does the area of Boxted Hall farmlying north of Church Road. The southern edge is defined byCook’s Hill and a section of Dedham Road, and then includes allthe area of the parish going north to the Stour.

Any development in this area which is likely to have an adverseimpact will be subject to special scrutiny by CBC. Developmentthought to be adverse will be acceptable only where anoverriding national need can be demonstrated and there are noacceptable alternative sites.

An area to the south, covering most of the parish, borders theDedham Vale area. CBC will give special protection from anydevelopment likely to be prejudicial to its natural, social orcultural resources.

There is also a Boxted Straight Road Special Policy areadesignated by the council in terms of employment conditions.This will not allow new permissions but renewal of temporarypermissions will usually be allowed. This should preserve thespecial nature of the area already indicated in its history. Incontrast, the original area of buildings once associated with fruitpacking at Hill Farm is now designated as an employment zoneoutside any main urban area, and small scale development maybe permitted in accordance with the scale and character of thelocal area.

There are a number of specified Local Wildlife Sites in theparish. These are usually wooded and are rather scattered.

In general, it is Council policy not to permit loss of the best andmost versatile land, defined as grades 1, 2 3a, unless there is anoverriding need for development and lower grade land is notavailable. This covers the remaining areas of the parish.

Villagers strongly believe that protecting the surroundingcountryside and landscape from inappropriate development isvital to ensure that the rural character of Boxted is protected, andits bio diversity is not affected.

3.6 Village Services

Boxted has few services, and some that exist are under pressure,such as the Sports and Social Club, Pre-School and the BritishLegion. There is no pub, and few places where the villagers canmeet.

The Pre-School building and the Sports and Social Club aredeteriorating, and the future of the British Legion is in somedoubt when its lease expires. It is a worry that some of the fewremaining community facilities that Boxted possesses are undersome threat.

It would be of considerable benefit to the community if a socialcentre, attractive to more residents, could be established.Colchester Borough Council should offer all support to BoxtedParish Council.

GUIDELINE

From the responses of the questionnaire it is clear thatthe agricultural surroundings of the village areappreciated and their general nature should be preservedparticularly in accordance with CS Policy ENV1.

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Appendix A

26Villagers strongly believe it is “...vital to ensure the rural character of Boxted is protected”

to open a village shop and/or post office, and also apub, if they could be run as going concerns.

As set out in the Core Strategy Policies SD2 and SD3,any new development within the village should berequired to make a significant contribution to supporteither the provision of new facilities, or the upgrade ofexisting facilities to meet local needs.

GUIDANCE

The Parish Council, CBC and other bodies shouldwork together to see if the Sports and Social Clubcould be redeveloped so as to incorporate an extendedindoor and outdoor sports centre, the Pre-School anda licensed bar open and welcoming to all.

Encouragement should be given to anyone who wishes

Extracts from Policies and proposals within the Adopted ReviewColchester Borough Local Plan 2004.

Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (CO2)Development in or likely to have an adverse impact on theDedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will besubject to special scrutiny. Where such development could havean adverse impact, directly or indirectly, on the area, it will beacceptable only where an overriding national need for thedevelopment in that particular location can be demonstrated andthere is a lack of acceptable alternative sites.

Where development proceeds because of an overriding nationalrequirement, removal and restoration of the site will be requiredin the event of redundancy at a later date.

Habitats for CO5Development that would adversely affect wildlife habitats ofinternational or national importance will not be permitted unlessthe reasons for the development clearly outweigh the natureconservation value of the site itself and the international ornational policy to safeguard the network of such sites.

Development and land use changes likely to have an adverseeffect upon the following sites listed below will not be approvedunless it can be clearly demonstrated that there are reasons forthe proposal which outweigh the need to safeguard thesubstantive nature conservation interest in the site. Wheredevelopment is permitted and is likely to cause damage, suchdamage will be kept to a minimum. Where this is not possible,appropriate mitigating measures will be sought before planningpermission is granted. The creation of new habitats will berequired as early as possible in the development process, and insome cases this may be before development commences. Suchmeasures will include the creation of habitats of equal qualityelsewhere within the site or the Borough as a whole. Wherethese measures are not possible, planning permission will berefused.

Local Nature Reserves or potential Local Nature Reserves; Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation; Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites;

Existing woodlands and hedgerows, particularly those in theInventory of Ancient Woodlands;

Habitats identified as declining in the Essex Biodiversity ActionPlan;

Important hedgerows;

Wetlands, water meadows and ponds;

Unimproved grasslands.

Cage Lane Protection

(CO7) Protected Lanes of historic and/or landscape value shownon the Proposals Map will be protected from development thatwould adversely affect their physical appearance or would giverise to a material increase in the amount of traffic using them.

Isolated Industrial Complexes (Hill Farm Rural Business Site)

(EMP5) Development on Existing Free-standing Rural BusinessSites. Any expansion and consolidation of appropriate existingauthorised uses, and any new uses as may be approved on theRural Business Sites listed below, will:

(a) only be within the areas defined on the inset maps:

(i) Hill Farm, Boxted;

(b) The use(s) and/or development shall be compatible with thecharacter and scale of any nearby settlement and the surroundingrural areas.

Boxted Straight Road – Special Policy Area 27

(EMP6) Within the area around Boxted Straight Road, asdefined on the Proposals Map, the following principles willapply:

(a) Renewal of temporary permission will be granted subject to: any consent being made personal to the applicant;

there being no current or likely future planning problems; environmental benefits being secured.

(b) Temporary permissions will not be renewed whereunacceptable problems exist and where these cannot beovercome by condition and/or planning agreements;

(c) No further permission on new sites or theexpansion/consolidation on existing ones will be granted.

Conservation Area(Boxted)

(UEA1) Within Conservation Areas, all those buildings, openspaces, trees, views and other aspects of the environment whichgo to make up the character or appearance of such places will beprotected.

Development considered detrimental to the setting ofConservation Areas will be refused.

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Boxted Parish Council and RCCE for theirfinancial help and advice, and Colchester Borough Council forreviewing the draft and accepting the findings for incorporationin the planning process.

We also thank the villagers who have taken the time toparticipate one way or another in this Plan, without them, therewould be no Plan.

Our thanks go to Hugh Large who set and printed thedocument.

Finally, thanks go to Steve Lawrence, Chairman, Robert Spittal,Treasurer and Chris Tadman, Secretary, and the other Planmembers who stayed to the end.

BibliographyReferences:Colchester Borough Council, Core Strategy 2008.Adopted Review Colchester Borough Local Plan, March 2004http://www.colchester/ www.Colchester gov.uk Core Strategyv2: 12/11/07.

Boxted – Portrait of an English Village, Douglas Carter, 2006.

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TABLE 1 – LOCAL PLAN AND CORE STRATEGY POLICIES RELEVANT TO BOXTED’S VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT

Issue:

Overall Development Control

Built Conservation Areas

Countryside/Environment (includinglandscape, settlement pattern as well asbiodiversity, archaeology, ? )

Dedham Vale AONB

Affordable Housing

Rural Communities

Rural Employment

Transport

Parking

Local Plan policies:

DC1 Overall Development Control Policy

UEA1 Character of Conservation Areas UEA11 DesignUEA12 Design Character

C01 Rural ResourcesCO5 Nature Conservation (Habitats)CO7 Protected Lanes

CO2 Dedham Vale AONB

H5 Affordable Housing - Rural Exceptions

CF1 Infrastructure and Community Facilities Provision

CF4 Retention of key Community Facilities

CO10 Agricultural DiversificationEMP4 Employment Uses in the

CountrysideEMP6 Boxted Straight RoadEMP7 Development of Existing

employment sites in the c/side

T5 Public TransportT7 Traffic Management Schemes

Policy T10 obsolete now and covered by T9 Parking outside Colchester

Core Strategy policies:

SD1 Sustainable Development Locations

UR2 Built Design & Character

Superseded by policy ENV1 (Environment) ENV1ENV1

ENV1

H4 Affordable Housing

Superseded by SD2 (Delivering Facilitiesand Infrastructure)SD3 Community Facilities

CE1 Centres & Employment Classification and Hierarchy

CE3 Employment Zones

TA1 Accessibility & Changing Travel Behaviour

TA5 Parking

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Appendix B.

SAVED LOCAL PLAN POLICIES TO BE SUPERCEDED BY THE DEVELOPMENT POLICIES DPD

Saved Local Plan Policy Development Policy

CO7 Protected Lanes Superseded by DP21 (Nature Conservation and Protected Lanes).

UEA1 Conservation Areas Superseded by DP14 (Historic Environment).

CO2 Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Superseded by DP22 (Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

CO3 Countryside Conservation Areas The evidence base has been updated by a Landscape Character Assessment which is referred to in Core Strategy Policy ENV1. Policy CO1 is superseded by this updated evidence base, DP21 (Nature Conservation and Protected Lanes) and DP14 (Historic Environment Assets).

CO5 Nature Conservation (Habitats) Superseded by DP21 (Nature Conservation and Protected Lanes).

CO7 Protected Lanes Superseded by DP21 (Nature Conservation and Protected Lanes).

EMP5 Rural Business Sites Superseded by DP5 (Appropriate Employment Uses and Protection of Employment Land and Existing Businesses.

EMP6 Boxted Straight Road Superseded by DP5 (Appropriate Employment Uses and Protection of Employment Land and Existing Businesses).

* Development Policies will not supercede the saved Local Plan policies until they can be formally adopted following an EIP in 2010

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